Using the Internet to Promote Your Writing

Several years ago, I attended a session at Lighthouse Writer's Workshop that consisted of a panel of five literary agents from New York. They discussed what they look for in writers, how to approach an agent, and the importance of establishing an Internet presence long before engaging an agent. In this post are suggestions for establishing your own professional presence on the Internet.

Whether you’re prospecting for writing jobs or you want to promote a book you’ve already written, an Internet presence is essential. This presence may take the form of a website, a blog, a Facebook page, a Twitter handle, or a combination of these.

Make certain that you spend most of your time actually writing, rather than promoting yourself. There is a fine line to walk if both are to be done appropriately.

Pictures Add Interest. Whether creating a Facebook, Blog, or Twitter post, a picture will add interest and catch the reader’s attention. There are free illustrations and photos available on Google Images, but you may run into copyright issues. You can always post a photo you have taken (get creative with these), or you can purchase from an inexpensive online stock photo agency such as Deposit Photos, Photo Spin, or Fotolia.  

Websites

A website is your online business card. It is a place to show what is important to you. If you are publishing a book, it is especially helpful to create a website.

Visit other writer’s websites to determine what you like and don’t like. Be sure and include your bio and contact information posted in a prominent place.

Purchase a domain name from a website such as https://www.godaddy.com. The domain name should cost about $10-15/year. You can either pay for hosting or get hosting free from a service such as Google Sites. If you choose to purchase hosting, expect to pay less than $10/month.

Blogs

There are several free sites where you can establish a blog. As of this writing, WordPress seems to be the go to site. 

Blogs can be used for a variety of purposes.

• Establish yourself as an expert on a topic. Focus on one or two topics to build a community of people with your same interest(s). This approach may also lead to paid writing jobs. Publishers who are looking for an expert in a specific area may find your blog and approach you. 
• Provide a place to practice your writing skills on a regular basis.
• Get your name out there. Do not write pieces that you hope will earn you money; instead, write about related topics. Offer quizzes, Q&A’s, giveaways, and notes about your ongoing research.

Your blog should be specific, clear, and detailed. A blog post is often most effective if you start with a hook to “capture” the reader. Tell a story that will help the reader identify with the content you plan to write. Incorporate the senses so the reader can picture the scene you are setting.

Possible topics for your blog.

• An occasion—something that you’ve recently done or witnessed.
• An idea—a thought, observation, or rant
• A review—a product you’ve used, a show or exhibit you attended, or book you read
• A quiz, top ten list, or other game. Engage the reader by asking questions and providing a comment area for the reader to answer.
• Posts with titles such as “The Top Ten Ways to …….” are often popular.

Make certain that there is an easy way to contact you through your blog. Your email address should be clearly visible.

If you decide to use WordPress, consider downloading the Yoast SEO (search engine optimization) plugin at https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-seo/ to help the Google search engine more easily find your posts.

Facebook

Create a page on Facebook where you share professional information—not personal information. Include posts about your current writing projects, share writing techniques and tips, include links to informative articles about writing, etc.

There are several Internet sites with instructions about setting up your site. Here are a few.

•  http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/how-to-set-up-a-facebook-page-for-business/
•  https://www.standoutbooks.com/professional-author-facebook-page/
• Discussion about whether to create a Facebook Profile or a Facebook Page https://janefriedman.com/5-reasons-use-facebook-profiles/

 

Twitter

Many agents, editors, magazines, and journals are on Twitter. Following their feeds is a great way to learn about what they are looking to publish. Additionally, Twitter can be used for networking with other writers.

Become an “expert” in one or two areas and tweet about those subjects. Write at least ten non-promotional tweets for every promotional one that you write.

As with all types of writing, make certain that you use a hook to grab the reader right away. Topics to consider tweeting about include books, workshops, classes and other material that have helped you be a better writer. Share about the process of writing and what has and hasn’t worked for you.

If you have written a book, include a link to your book in your Twitter bio.

Tools to help you be more efficient on Twitter:

• Use a free service such as https://www.socialoomph.com to schedule tweets or Facebook posts automatically.
• Use a link shortening website such as http://ow.ly/url/shorten-url or https://bitly.com so you have more room to write.
• Make your tweets easier to discover by using hashtags. See http://techforluddites.com/the-twitter-hashtag-what-is-it-and-how-do-you-use-it/ for a basic tutorial.
• If you like someone else’s tweet, you can retweet it to your followers. See instructions at https://support.twitter.com/articles/20169873

(Much of the information provided in this blog post is from a class I recently took at Lighthouse Writer’s Workshop https://lighthousewriters.org, taught by Jenny Shank. Some of the information is my own.)